I have rooted cuttings of Winter Snowman and Jerry Hill hardy camellias which I would like to trade for other hardy camellias. Most wanted are April Rose, April Remembered, and Winter's Rose. Kathy

tmn, if you want spring blooming types, the "April" series are a good choice. Most are rated for zone 6. If you have a spot that is protected from winter wind, that's a plus. Also, they get burned by winter sun, so you need to keep them in a shaded spot, keeping in mind the changes in the angle of the sun throughout the seasons. A spot that is a bit warmer, such as near a stone wall or house, foundation, etc. that may hold a little heat is a help as well. I don't do anything special in winter, unless there is a heavy snow load that could break the branches. This past winter was especially brutal, and much of the tops of my plants (6-7 feet tall ones) were burned, and the buds in those parts were killed. The parts that were buried in snow for a few weeks are fine, and the flowers bloomed as always. The new growth in the "good" parts is moving along normally, healthy green shoots. But in the damaged parts of each plant, only now do I see some tiny green shoots. I am sure the plants will recover this year but it will be another few weeks before the damaged areas start to look good again. There are also many fall blooming types, which are generally a bit hardier than the spring blooming ones, and you don't have to worry about the buds being killed in a cold winter, since they form during summer and then bloom in fall. Good luck with yours! I'd like to know how they do for you.

Like their rhododendron cousins, camellias have a very shallow, dense and matt-like root system. They dislike being planted too deeply and they dislike being smothered in mulch. 4 inches is excessive. It's not a matter of the camellias preferring the mulch. The roots grow into it because they can more easily access necessary oxygen, water and nutrients. Were the mulch not present, the roots would have done the same colonization of the surrounding soil. The recommendation for mulching around these plants is to have the greatest depth of mulch at the dripline and then feather the mulch gradually back to the base/trunk. And once again, 4 inches is on the excessive side. 2-3 inches is sufficient.

I guessed you're in Oz given the Camellia in August clue and Google tells me this is an Australian cultivar. Pics show variable petal numbers, so, as long as your plant is correctly labelled, I'm sure you'll get doubles in due course.